Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Abdul Haq, while replying on behalf of Education Minister to Calling Attention Notice of Naresh Kumar Gupta informed the House that Government Degree College (GDC) Kilotran in Doda has been sanctioned by the state cabinet under Phase II of the Prime Ministers Reconstruction Plan (PMRP-II).The Minister informed that the college was made functional at Kilotran (Doda) from the year 2008 in make shift accommodation by introduction of Arts streams and 34 posts of various categories both teaching and Non-teaching including 18 posts of Assistant Professor were created for the college.Mr. Haq informed that the proprietary land measuring 79 Kanals and 7 marlas at Changa, Bhalessa (Doda) was acquired and possession was handed over to the Higher Education Department for establishment of the college and an amount of Rs 90.75 lakh as land compensation was released in favour of Deputy Commissioner Doda for disbursement among the concerned land owners.
The Minister informed that administrative approval for construction of college building could not be accorded earlier due to the stay order from the Hon’ble High Court, which was finally disposed off by the court on 03.04.2012. He informed, subsequently, the administrative approval for construction of the college building was accorded during the financial year 2013-14 at an estimated cost of Rs 1335.50 lakh for execution through JKPCC limited. He said an amount of Rs 330 lakh has already been released to the executing agency.The Minister further informed that the executing agency (JKPCC) reported that the construction of college building as per the approved plan could not be taken up in the higher portion of land due to the resistance from local people and proposed to construct the college building at the lower limb of the acquired land. He said, however, the Principal of Government Degree College Kilhotran reported that the proposed site is flood prone thus accordingly a committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Director Colleges J&K and Nodal Principal, Jammu division, Principal GDC Doda, Principal GDC Kilhotran and representatives from JKPCC as members for ascertaining the feasibility of the land acquired for establishment of the college.
Abdul Haq said that the committee visited the site on 27.04.2015 and submitted its report wherein it was informed that the land acquired at village Changa (Khilotran) for establishment of the college consists of two portions. He informed that the lower portion consisting of 15 kanals and the upper portion consists of 64 Kanal and 7 marlas. The committee observed that the construction of college building can be done in the lower portion of the acquired land subject to the issuance of NOC by the Irrigation & Flood Control Departments.
The Minister said that the I&FC department issued NOC for construction of the building on identified land subject to the Plinth level of the proposed building be kept minimum 1.5 meter above PWD road adjacent to the site of the building as the water from the catchment area can accumulate at site being the low lying area. The department also intimated that in case of damage occurs to the proposed building the department shall not be responsible for the same and in case of any violation of the JK Water Resources Regulation & Management Act-2010 and Rules 2011, the NOC issued shall be deemed to have been withdrawn/ cancelled, he added.
Mr. Abdul Haq informed that the executing agency was authorized to take up construction work of the College building on the lower portion of the already acquired land at village Changa (Khilotran). He informed that an amount of Rs 330 lakhs stands released in favour of the executing agency.The Minister further informed that the concerned land owners once again stopped the construction work as most of the land owners did not accept the compensation and therefore, the compensation amount has been deposited in District and Session Court, Bhaderwah by the Sub Divisional Magistrate Gandoh. He said with the intervention of the district administration the construction work of the college complex has now been restarted by the executing agency.The Minister assured the House that the construction work of the building shall be fast-tracked in view of the limited working season.